More Solar, Wind For Digital Realty

Digital Realty is adding yet more renewable energy to its diet. The global data center REIT has signed two long-term energy agreements that boost the company's renewable consumption by over 80%.

The first contract adds 276,000 megawatt-hours of wind power from Leeward Renewable Energy. Leeward operates two wind farms in northern Illinois and will be sending that power to Digital's Chicago data centers.

The second deal brings in 48,000 megawatt-hours of solar power from SunEnergy1. SunEnergy1 operates solar installations across North Carolina with new projects in the works both there and in neighboring states. They will help power Digital Realty's footprint in the data center hub of Ashburn.

Unlike some of the data center provider's earlier moves to buy renewable energy offsets for its US footprint, this arrangement seems to go directly to nearby energy sources. Both energy projects will become reality sometime in 2018.